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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · vault · mark · charge · club · wake · coach · mate

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mark — a trace
  5. charge — electricity
  6. swing — music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mark — a grade
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. club — for golf
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mate — a friend
  18. swing — to play on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — a safe
  23. club — a group
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com